Trump Declares National Emergency Over Cuba, Authorizes New Tariffs
President Donald Trump declared a national emergency over the Cuban regime on Thursday, signing an executive order that authorizes new tariffs on countries that supply oil to the communist government in Havana. The move is part of a broader strategy to counter what the administration described as Cuba’s threats to U.S. national security and foreign policy interests.
The order establishes a system that allows the United States to impose additional duties on imports from nations that directly or indirectly provide oil to Cuba. Trump’s directive empowers the Secretaries of State and Commerce to enforce the tariff structure, with the option to modify it if targeted countries adjust their behavior to align with U.S. interests.
According to the White House, the Cuban regime represents an “unusual and extraordinary threat” due to its alliances with hostile states, its harboring of foreign military and intelligence operations, and its support for terrorist groups such as Hezbollah and Hamas. Officials cited Cuba’s alleged role in helping these actors evade sanctions and spread destabilization throughout the Western Hemisphere.
The administration specifically accused Havana of hosting Russia’s largest overseas signals intelligence facility, believed to be used for spying on American national security infrastructure. Trump officials also pointed to Cuba’s repression of political dissidents, crackdown on press freedoms, and export of communist ideology as contributing factors behind the emergency declaration.
Secretary of State Marco Rubio echoed Trump’s message, signaling that the administration hopes to see change on the island. “We would love to see the regime change,” Rubio said. “That doesn’t mean we’ll make a change, but it would be of great benefit to the United States.”
Trump suggested earlier in the week that the Cuban government was nearing collapse, predicting, “Cuba will be failing pretty soon.” The statement followed a series of energy shortages and currency devaluations that have triggered unrest across the island.
The executive order fits into Trump’s larger pattern of targeting authoritarian regimes viewed as hostile to the United States. Similar actions have recently been taken against Venezuela and Iran. Thursday’s announcement signals an escalation in pressure on Havana while expressing support for the Cuban people who have suffered under decades of communist rule.
The tariffs will remain in effect until the president determines that Cuba, or countries aiding it, have taken sufficient steps to reduce the threat they pose. For now, the administration has signaled no plans to ease off.